In the past years we’ve reached a high-point of consciousness about representation in the arts, from “#OscarsSoWhite” to videos reminding us of the long history of women being underrepresented in visual art. Now, Banned Books Week, which runs from September 25 to October 1 this year, is taking this social push one step further. Citing an estimate that more than half of all ‘banned’ or challenged books feature minority characters in major roles and/or deal with issues affecting diverse communities, the coalition announced that “Diversity” would be its nationwide theme. For those of you who might feel this is an …
It’s an old adage that’s typically attributed to Steve Martin: “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” It’s a fun turn of phrase; but for many people, understanding everything that goes into a three-to-four minute song becomes an obsessive puzzle. The past few years have featured some knockout music biographies and memoirs, and in light of some high-profile passings and musicians-turned-writers, this year’s slated to be no different. We’ve found ten forthcoming books that promise to entertain and inform, no matter what type of music you’re into. The Man from Muscle Shoals: My Journey from Shame to Fame by Rick Hall …
In celebration of World Book Day, British company National Book Tokens conducted a poll among bookworms to decide which children’s book characters mean the most to readers. Of the ten that made the list, six of readers’ favorite heroes are female, with Matilda Wormwood (of Matilda fame, of course) coming in second, behind the one and only Harry Potter. Seven of the readers’ top ten favorite villains are also women, according to the poll. There, Dolores Umbridge takes the 2nd place spot under her, let’s say ‘colleague,’ Lord Voldemort. While the voters of the poll did show that they more often …
For some, even bringing up Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace sounds like the beginning of a lecture on why to read the classics. Now that its story of romance amid political turmoil has gotten more exposure as a critically acclaimed BBC series, those dragging their feet have the perfect reason to start reading. The renewed interest means that War and Peace, at long last, has become a bestseller in Britain. Since the show’s premiere in early January, more than 15,000 copies of the book have been purchased in the UK, 5,000 of those in the last week alone. This flash …
Stephen King adaptations are like iPhones: they’re everywhere, not every version is great, and there’s a traffic-jam clamor to have the next one. Devoted fans will know that an adaptation to his 2011 novel 11.22.63 just premiered on Hulu this Monday to great, justified fanfare, but even five years from publication to production seems long in comparison. It took a little over six months for Hollywood to greenlight an adaptation of King’s 2014 novel, Mr. Mercedes. National treasure that he is, it feels less like a gold rush and more like an endless river of adaptations coming down from his cabin in Maine. …
